Sunday, May 24, 2009
Christmas in May!
The Team Aquaphor guys hooked me up with a bunch of new gear for the 2009 season. The package included tri shorts, tri top, running singlet, running shorts, technical t-shirt, swim suit, caps, wind jacket and a variety of great Eucerin product and samples. Take a look at the photos below!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
2009 Race Schedule
Here is my tentative schedule for 2009. I will be focusing most on the 5K and 10K USMS Nationals.
1. John Bryan Jump Off Adventure Race
Location: John Bryan State Park , Yellow Springs Ohio
Date: May 2nd, 2009
http://www.race-coar.com/index_009.htm
Notes: 4 Hour Adventure Race (Canoeing, Mountain Biking, Trail Running) – Chris and I will be competing as a team.
Goals: Finish!
2. Columbus Open Water Swims I
Location: Alum Creek State Park
Date: June 27th, 2009
http://www.fatrabbitracing.com/Events/OpenWaterSwim/COWS1.aspx
Notes: 3 different swim races. .75K, 1.5K, 3.0K. Competed in this race in 2008.
2008 Results:
.75K – 11:10 (1st Masters Male)
1.5K – 21:27 (2nd Masters Male)
3K – 47:49 (1st Masters Male)
Goals: Improve all times from 2008. Finish on podium for all three races.
3. Columbus Open Water Swims II
Location: Antrim Park , Columbus Ohio
Date: July 18th, 2009
http://www.fatrabbitracing.com/Events/OpenWaterSwim/COWS2.aspx
Notes: 3 different swim races. .75K, 1.5K, 3.0K. Competed in this event in 2007.
2007 Results:
1.5K – 21:44 (2nd Masters Male)
3.0K – 45:52 (6th Masters Male)
Goals: Improve all times from 2008. Finish on podium for all three races.
4. Great Ohio River Swim
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Date: July 25th, 2009
http://www.cincytriathlon.com/River%20Swim.htm
Notes: Not sure what to expect with this race. It involves swimming the width of the Ohio River .
Goals: Finish in top 3 of age group.
5. United States Masters Swimming 10K National Championships
Location: Harbor Springs, Michigan
Date: August 1st, 2009
http://www.usms.org/longdist/ldnats09/
Notes: 10K National Champs. "A" Race.
Goals: Finish in top 3 of age group.
6. United States Master’s Swimming 5K National Championships
Location: Chicago , Illinois
Date: September 12th, 2009
http://www.bigshoulders.org/
Notes: 5K National Champs. A large field and very competitive. "AA" Race, want to perform my best at this event.
Goals: Finish in top 5 of age group. Swim under 1:05.
1. John Bryan Jump Off Adventure Race
Location: John Bryan State Park , Yellow Springs Ohio
Date: May 2nd, 2009
http://www.race-coar.com/index_009.htm
Notes: 4 Hour Adventure Race (Canoeing, Mountain Biking, Trail Running) – Chris and I will be competing as a team.
Goals: Finish!
2. Columbus Open Water Swims I
Location: Alum Creek State Park
Date: June 27th, 2009
http://www.fatrabbitracing.com/Events/OpenWaterSwim/COWS1.aspx
Notes: 3 different swim races. .75K, 1.5K, 3.0K. Competed in this race in 2008.
2008 Results:
.75K – 11:10 (1st Masters Male)
1.5K – 21:27 (2nd Masters Male)
3K – 47:49 (1st Masters Male)
Goals: Improve all times from 2008. Finish on podium for all three races.
3. Columbus Open Water Swims II
Location: Antrim Park , Columbus Ohio
Date: July 18th, 2009
http://www.fatrabbitracing.com/Events/OpenWaterSwim/COWS2.aspx
Notes: 3 different swim races. .75K, 1.5K, 3.0K. Competed in this event in 2007.
2007 Results:
1.5K – 21:44 (2nd Masters Male)
3.0K – 45:52 (6th Masters Male)
Goals: Improve all times from 2008. Finish on podium for all three races.
4. Great Ohio River Swim
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Date: July 25th, 2009
http://www.cincytriathlon.com/River%20Swim.htm
Notes: Not sure what to expect with this race. It involves swimming the width of the Ohio River .
Goals: Finish in top 3 of age group.
5. United States Masters Swimming 10K National Championships
Location: Harbor Springs, Michigan
Date: August 1st, 2009
http://www.usms.org/longdist/ldnats09/
Notes: 10K National Champs. "A" Race.
Goals: Finish in top 3 of age group.
6. United States Master’s Swimming 5K National Championships
Location: Chicago , Illinois
Date: September 12th, 2009
http://www.bigshoulders.org/
Notes: 5K National Champs. A large field and very competitive. "AA" Race, want to perform my best at this event.
Goals: Finish in top 5 of age group. Swim under 1:05.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
John Bryan Jump Off
The race started a little later than most swims or tri's. The race didn't officially begin until 10:00am so Chris and I did not have to leave too early. We had met the night before to discuss strategy and lay out our gear.
Chris picked me up at 6:30 and we loaded our gear in his truck and took off for John Bryan State Park near Yellow Springs Ohio. The race instructions directed us to first drop off our bikes at a location different from where the race would actually start. Chris and I got there before anyone else and took our time checking our bikes and investigating the river we would soon be running. After getting our bikes arranged we drove into the park, where the race would start.
We were there plenty early so we made sure our packs had everything we needed. My gear included a GoLite pack with a 100oz bladder. In the bladder I had water with a few NuuN tablets. I carried a couple of Clif Shots and that was pretty much it for nutrition except for the water bottle of Gatorade I left with my bike. In my pack I carried an extra shirt, extra socks, a compass, and my bike helmet. I wore shorts, short sleeve shirt with base layer, arm warmers and a hat.
We received our maps about ten minutes before the start so we didn't have much time to plan strategy. Chris looked at the map and came up with a general idea of how we would attack the orienteering section of the race. The orienteering was first, then we would paddle and finally ride to the finish.
We took off at 10:00 and jogged toward the first checkpoint we targeted. Only a few other teams had the same strategy as us so it wasn't too crowded. We crossed a bridge and then began looking for the elusive CP. Before long we had found it and were on our way to the next one. The next CP took us a long time to find and in hindsight we probably should have cut our losses and moved on but it became personal and once we did find it we were both were feeling really good.
We grabbed a couple more checkpoints and then moved to the rappelling section. I struggled with this as I had never done it before. It was a little dicey at first for me but I finally got down and waited for Chris to get a harness. Chris and I decided we needed to order our own harnesses as we waited a good 30 minutes to do the rappelling section because we didn't have harnesses. Chris came down the face like mad man. All the volunteering were yelling "Navy Seal" as Chris made easy work of the face.
Once we finished the ropes we grabbed a few more easy CPs and then grabbed our canoe. The canoeing ended up being harder than we thought with all the rain we had but we got through it relatively easily. We did miss a checkpoint but it was no big deal as we had others to find.
After finishing the paddling we grabbed our bikes and took off. Due to the high water the majority of the bike was on the road. We missed a few CPs on the bike because my chain snapped and Chris and I had to rig it back together but I could put very little pressure on the pedals for the rest of the ride. We packed it in and rode to the finish tired but proud of what we had accomplished.
Chris picked me up at 6:30 and we loaded our gear in his truck and took off for John Bryan State Park near Yellow Springs Ohio. The race instructions directed us to first drop off our bikes at a location different from where the race would actually start. Chris and I got there before anyone else and took our time checking our bikes and investigating the river we would soon be running. After getting our bikes arranged we drove into the park, where the race would start.
We were there plenty early so we made sure our packs had everything we needed. My gear included a GoLite pack with a 100oz bladder. In the bladder I had water with a few NuuN tablets. I carried a couple of Clif Shots and that was pretty much it for nutrition except for the water bottle of Gatorade I left with my bike. In my pack I carried an extra shirt, extra socks, a compass, and my bike helmet. I wore shorts, short sleeve shirt with base layer, arm warmers and a hat.
We received our maps about ten minutes before the start so we didn't have much time to plan strategy. Chris looked at the map and came up with a general idea of how we would attack the orienteering section of the race. The orienteering was first, then we would paddle and finally ride to the finish.
We took off at 10:00 and jogged toward the first checkpoint we targeted. Only a few other teams had the same strategy as us so it wasn't too crowded. We crossed a bridge and then began looking for the elusive CP. Before long we had found it and were on our way to the next one. The next CP took us a long time to find and in hindsight we probably should have cut our losses and moved on but it became personal and once we did find it we were both were feeling really good.
We grabbed a couple more checkpoints and then moved to the rappelling section. I struggled with this as I had never done it before. It was a little dicey at first for me but I finally got down and waited for Chris to get a harness. Chris and I decided we needed to order our own harnesses as we waited a good 30 minutes to do the rappelling section because we didn't have harnesses. Chris came down the face like mad man. All the volunteering were yelling "Navy Seal" as Chris made easy work of the face.
Once we finished the ropes we grabbed a few more easy CPs and then grabbed our canoe. The canoeing ended up being harder than we thought with all the rain we had but we got through it relatively easily. We did miss a checkpoint but it was no big deal as we had others to find.
After finishing the paddling we grabbed our bikes and took off. Due to the high water the majority of the bike was on the road. We missed a few CPs on the bike because my chain snapped and Chris and I had to rig it back together but I could put very little pressure on the pedals for the rest of the ride. We packed it in and rode to the finish tired but proud of what we had accomplished.
USMS 25K National Champs-Noblesville Indiana
I am adding a race report that I created last year following the USMS 25K National Championships.
We traveled to Noblesville Friday afternoon for the Saturday morning race. I had my Dad and my brother Chris with me to serve as my support crew. Chris would be serving as my escort in a kayak. This race was sizing up to be one of the most difficult races I have ever done. The race would not take nearly as long as an Ironman but when you are swimming the entire time it is much more challenging. Specifically, there is no where to hide. No coasting on the bike no walking during the run. You have to keep swimming.
The day before the race we registered and went to the pre-race meeting. During the meeting I made sure I knew all of the necessary rules and Chris reserved his kayak and PFD. After the meeting we boarded a few boats and took a tour of the course. It consisted of five 5K loops. I really wanted to get back to the hotel to get organized and to bed before it got to be too late so I wasn't too crazy about the boat tour but it ended up being helpful as Chris and I got a good idea of the course. It was probably more important for Chris as he was going to be the one chiefly in charge of navigation.
After the tour we got back to the hotel and I prepared all of my gear. This process was much easier than setting up for a triathlon or adventure race. All I really needed to worry about was my suit, googles and nutrition. I decided on wearing a Speedo FastSkin Pro Legskin for the race, with a pair of Speedo Olympic Vanquisher Plus goggles. For nutrition I went basic, Gatorade and water for hydration and Clif Shots and bananas for calories.
A quick aside on the suit. The FastSkin Pro was my first experience with the new breed of "technical swimming" suits. Back in my previous competitive heydays a paper suit or a Speedo AquaBlade was considered high tech and fast. I was a little skeptical of the technology (and the price :)) but when I tried the suit out in the pool a few days before the race I could tell that the hype was for real. I felt fast! The suit felt buoyant but not overly so and I was really excited to race with this suit.
Back to the race. Chris and I went to bed early and I slept pretty well, though I was up early the next morning. I was full of energy and jitters and sleeping in was not an option. We got our stuff packed, stopped on the floor below us to pick up Dad and then we headed to a gas station to buy some ice. Chris and I figured getting the ice was a priority as temperatures were going to be in the mid 90’s and keeping our body temps down was crucial. I had a Clif Bar (love the Cool Mint), an Uncrustable and a banana.
We arrived to the race start early as Chris and I usually do. Chris swears this is a direct correlation to always being late when arriving to swim meets when we were younger. Chris claims that he would always get yelled at when he showed up late to warm-ups because of our Mom. Love you Mom! Now, Chris and I are usually the first ones to show up at most any race!
Once the race directors got there and opened the facility we headed in, hit the bathroom and I began the process of getting the suit on. After getting dressed I did a quick warm up and had a gel before the start. The warm up felt good for the most part. I had a little tweak in my neck from doing something to it a few days prior but other than that I was fit and ready to go.
The escort kayaks were positioned about 500 meters away from the start so the swimmers could spread out a bit before being joined by kayak support. In hindsight I paid a bit too much attention to finding Chris when I should have just kept swimming and been confident that he would find me. After what seemed like a long time, I noticed Chris was off to my left and I was calm and ready to get to the swimming.
The first loop was relatively uneventful except for one kayaker that about hit me. I did notice that the back half of the loop was significantly more difficult than the front half. Something that I would definitely keep in mind throughout the race in order to dose my efforts effectively.
The best part of the day was the ending of each lap when I would be able to see my wonderful, beautiful wife, Courtney, and my two troublemaking dogs. Courtney brought Riley and Jake over early in the morning and although I did not see her at the start, she, R & J were there cheering and barking at the end of each lap. I owe so much to Courtney; she is by far the best wife I could have ever hoped for. Her support was a huge part of getting me to the starting line.
The way we handled the nutrition during the race was for Chris to simply hand me a water bottle or gel every 20-30 minutes. Chris had a small cooler in his Kayak that let him keep the food cool. The only problem with this was when I tried to take in my first gel it was more or solid than I expected and I preceded to gag and throw it up. This made taking in nutrition very difficult during the rest of the race.
After completing the second loop (10K) into the race, I thought I might be in a bit of trouble. I was hurting. The back half of each loop was really taking it out of me and I was really feeling like I might not complete the race. The third loop was a nightmare and I thought it would never end. I just kept trying to take my mind to another place and keep moving. Once I completed the third loop and saw Courtney, I remember thinking that I am not going to let this race beat me. After that the last two loops were not nearly as difficult. It goes to show you how your mental toughness can really change things.
I finished the race and felt great. Although my time was much slower than I had hoped for, I felt like I had truly accomplished something. Looking back, I probably should have worn a more comfortable suit as the FastSkin was tight and made for a long day. And I should have practiced and planned my nutrition better. I was severely under nourished throughout this race and I know it hindered my performance.
Many thanks go out to the race directors and USMS. A big thank you goes out to my Dad, Cal and my brother, Chris, for serving as my support crew during race weekend. And last but certainly not least, thank you to my beautiful wife, Courtney, for standing by me and encouraging me every step of the way.
We traveled to Noblesville Friday afternoon for the Saturday morning race. I had my Dad and my brother Chris with me to serve as my support crew. Chris would be serving as my escort in a kayak. This race was sizing up to be one of the most difficult races I have ever done. The race would not take nearly as long as an Ironman but when you are swimming the entire time it is much more challenging. Specifically, there is no where to hide. No coasting on the bike no walking during the run. You have to keep swimming.
The day before the race we registered and went to the pre-race meeting. During the meeting I made sure I knew all of the necessary rules and Chris reserved his kayak and PFD. After the meeting we boarded a few boats and took a tour of the course. It consisted of five 5K loops. I really wanted to get back to the hotel to get organized and to bed before it got to be too late so I wasn't too crazy about the boat tour but it ended up being helpful as Chris and I got a good idea of the course. It was probably more important for Chris as he was going to be the one chiefly in charge of navigation.
After the tour we got back to the hotel and I prepared all of my gear. This process was much easier than setting up for a triathlon or adventure race. All I really needed to worry about was my suit, googles and nutrition. I decided on wearing a Speedo FastSkin Pro Legskin for the race, with a pair of Speedo Olympic Vanquisher Plus goggles. For nutrition I went basic, Gatorade and water for hydration and Clif Shots and bananas for calories.
A quick aside on the suit. The FastSkin Pro was my first experience with the new breed of "technical swimming" suits. Back in my previous competitive heydays a paper suit or a Speedo AquaBlade was considered high tech and fast. I was a little skeptical of the technology (and the price :)) but when I tried the suit out in the pool a few days before the race I could tell that the hype was for real. I felt fast! The suit felt buoyant but not overly so and I was really excited to race with this suit.
Back to the race. Chris and I went to bed early and I slept pretty well, though I was up early the next morning. I was full of energy and jitters and sleeping in was not an option. We got our stuff packed, stopped on the floor below us to pick up Dad and then we headed to a gas station to buy some ice. Chris and I figured getting the ice was a priority as temperatures were going to be in the mid 90’s and keeping our body temps down was crucial. I had a Clif Bar (love the Cool Mint), an Uncrustable and a banana.
We arrived to the race start early as Chris and I usually do. Chris swears this is a direct correlation to always being late when arriving to swim meets when we were younger. Chris claims that he would always get yelled at when he showed up late to warm-ups because of our Mom. Love you Mom! Now, Chris and I are usually the first ones to show up at most any race!
Once the race directors got there and opened the facility we headed in, hit the bathroom and I began the process of getting the suit on. After getting dressed I did a quick warm up and had a gel before the start. The warm up felt good for the most part. I had a little tweak in my neck from doing something to it a few days prior but other than that I was fit and ready to go.
The escort kayaks were positioned about 500 meters away from the start so the swimmers could spread out a bit before being joined by kayak support. In hindsight I paid a bit too much attention to finding Chris when I should have just kept swimming and been confident that he would find me. After what seemed like a long time, I noticed Chris was off to my left and I was calm and ready to get to the swimming.
The first loop was relatively uneventful except for one kayaker that about hit me. I did notice that the back half of the loop was significantly more difficult than the front half. Something that I would definitely keep in mind throughout the race in order to dose my efforts effectively.
The best part of the day was the ending of each lap when I would be able to see my wonderful, beautiful wife, Courtney, and my two troublemaking dogs. Courtney brought Riley and Jake over early in the morning and although I did not see her at the start, she, R & J were there cheering and barking at the end of each lap. I owe so much to Courtney; she is by far the best wife I could have ever hoped for. Her support was a huge part of getting me to the starting line.
The way we handled the nutrition during the race was for Chris to simply hand me a water bottle or gel every 20-30 minutes. Chris had a small cooler in his Kayak that let him keep the food cool. The only problem with this was when I tried to take in my first gel it was more or solid than I expected and I preceded to gag and throw it up. This made taking in nutrition very difficult during the rest of the race.
After completing the second loop (10K) into the race, I thought I might be in a bit of trouble. I was hurting. The back half of each loop was really taking it out of me and I was really feeling like I might not complete the race. The third loop was a nightmare and I thought it would never end. I just kept trying to take my mind to another place and keep moving. Once I completed the third loop and saw Courtney, I remember thinking that I am not going to let this race beat me. After that the last two loops were not nearly as difficult. It goes to show you how your mental toughness can really change things.
I finished the race and felt great. Although my time was much slower than I had hoped for, I felt like I had truly accomplished something. Looking back, I probably should have worn a more comfortable suit as the FastSkin was tight and made for a long day. And I should have practiced and planned my nutrition better. I was severely under nourished throughout this race and I know it hindered my performance.
Many thanks go out to the race directors and USMS. A big thank you goes out to my Dad, Cal and my brother, Chris, for serving as my support crew during race weekend. And last but certainly not least, thank you to my beautiful wife, Courtney, for standing by me and encouraging me every step of the way.
What is this exactly???
I am creating this blog to track my various races that I will be competing in this year. Hopefully this will give my sponsors and friends a way to view my progress and read up on my race reports.
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